“There were many conquerors that came to this country. And after each war or conquest, our country had to rise again. I think that the future is bright, because everything is possible if you work hard for it.”—Photo Camp Sarajevo student

A palpable energy filled the classroom when the cameras were presented to the students, each teenager feverishly unwrapping his or her own personal Olympus camera—new, shiny, and ready to be filled with stories. This would be the tool that the coalition of 20 students ages 14 to 19 would be using in Sarajevo and its surrounding communities for the next six days of National Geographic Photo Camp—and it was theirs to keep.

“Here, we are learning how to talk